5 players who helped their draft stock most at the NBA Draft Combine

Jonathan Jeanne, France

Everyone missed Rudy Gobert. The long-limbed French center was just a raw bundle of potential when he entered the NBA Draft. No one knew if he could become the defensive terror he ended up being.

Naturally, every NBA team is going to obsess over finding the next Gobert. And Jonathan Jeanne of France might be the next best thing.

No, Jeanne is not as freakishly big as Gobert is. He still has a long way to go in his basketball development.

But Jeanne has all the physical tools. And the NBA scouts got to see him up close and personal at the Draft Combine.

Jeanne was 7-foot with a 7-foot-7 wingspan. He had a 9-foot-6 standing reach. For reference, Gobert measured at 7-foot-2 with a 9-foot-7 standing reach. Yes, Jeanne nearly has a reach as long as Gobert’s.

You can hear NBA scouts perking up with interest. DraftExpress has him ranked as a late first round pick. Raw prospects are still raw. And no one is going to put a high pick on someone who is still learning the game.

But patience gets rewarded. Just look at Gobert.

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He still has a long way to go though. Jeanne scored 10 points and grabbed two rebounds to go with seven fouls in Thursday’s scrimmage. But he recovered to follow it up with 14 points, nine rebounds and three blocks Friday.

NBA scouts have seen him in person for the first time now. And there is plenty more to whet the appetite.